Rhode Island driving laws

“No person shall use a wireless handset or personal wireless communication device to compose, read, or send text messages, or for any other purpose while driving a motor vehicle on any public street or public highway within the state of Rhode Island”

“The use of a personal wireless communication device in a hands-free manner, with a hands-free accessory, or with the activation or deactivation of a feature or function of the personal wireless communication device with the motion of a single swipe or tap of the finger of the driver.”

“be subject to a fine of one hundred dollars ($100); for a second conviction a person shall be subject to a fine of one hundred fifty dollars ($150); and for a third or subsequent conviction a person shall be subject to a fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250).”

“The use of a personal wireless communication device by a minor, while the minor is operating a motor vehicle shall be prohibited, except in the case of an emergency. For purposes of this section, the term “minor” shall include any person less than eighteen (18) years of age.”

“For a third or subsequent conviction, a person shall be punished by a fine of two hundred and fifty dollars ($250) and/or loss of license until the user reaches his/her eighteenth (18th) birthday.”

“Any person charged under subsection (a), whose blood alcohol concentration is eight one-hundredths of one percent (.08%) or more by weight, as shown by a chemical analysis of a blood, breath, or urine sample, shall be guilty of violating subsection (a).”

“shall be subject to a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100), nor more than three hundred dollars ($300); shall be required to perform ten (10) to sixty (60) hours of public community restitution, and/or shall be imprisoned for up to one year.”

“and his or her driver’s license shall be suspended for thirty (30) days up to one hundred eighty (180) days.”

“shall be determined to have been driving while impaired if the test determines the person’s blood alcohol concentration to be at least two-hundredths of one percent (.02%) but less than eight one hundredths of one percent (.08%) by weight.”

“Impose, for the first violation, a fine in the amount of two hundred dollars ($200) to five hundred dollars ($500) and shall order the person to perform ten (10) to sixty (60) hours of public community restitution. The person’s driving license in this state shall be suspended for a period of six (6) months to one year.”

“It is illegal to operate a CMV if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is .04% or more.”

“Any person who is an operator of a motor vehicle shall be properly wearing a safety belt and/or shoulder harness system as defined by 49 C.F.R. § 571.208 while the vehicle is in operation on any of the roadways, streets, or highways of this state.”

“Any operator of a motor vehicle transporting a person eighteen (18) years of age and older in any seating position of a motor vehicle operated on the roadways, streets, or highways of this state shall ensure that the person be properly wearing a safety belt”

“Any person transporting a child under the age of eight (8), less than fifty-seven inches (57″) in height and less than eighty pounds (80 lbs.), in a motor vehicle operated on the roadways, streets, or highways of this state, shall transport the child in any rear seating position of the motor vehicle properly restrained in a child restraint system”

“All infants and toddlers under the age of two (2) years or weighing less than thirty pounds (30 lbs.) shall be restrained in a rear-facing car seat.”

“No motor vehicle shall be stopped, inspected or detained to determine compliance with subsection (f) or (g) of this section without reasonable suspicion that the operator or passenger(s) of the motor vehicle is in violation of this section.”

“emergency vehicles displaying flashing lights as provided in § 31-24-31, tow trucks, transporter trucks, highway maintenance equipment displaying flashing lights (while performing maintenance operations), roadside assistance vehicles displaying flashing amber lights while assisting a disabled motor vehicle, and any nonemergency vehicle that is stationary and located on the shoulder or breakdown lane of a roadway or highway.”

“This paragraph applies only if the roadway has at least two (2) lanes for traffic proceeding in the direction of the approaching vehicle and if the approaching vehicle may change lanes safely and without interfering with any vehicular traffic; or”

“Slow the vehicle, maintaining a safe speed for traffic conditions, and operate the vehicle at a reduced speed until completely past”

“upon meeting or overtaking from any direction any bus marked as “school bus” whenever the bus is being operated in accordance with § 31-20-11 and on which there is in operation flashing red lights, shall stop the vehicle before reaching the bus.”

“The driver shall not proceed until the bus resumes motion or until the flashing lights are no longer actuated.”

“When a highway is a divided highway and the bus is stopped in the roadway on one side of the divided highway and the driver is operating on the other side of it.”

“be punished by a civil fine of not less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500) and/or suspension of his or her driving license for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days.”

“Twenty-five miles per hour (25 mph) in any business or residence district; (2) Fifty miles per hour (50 mph) in other locations during the daytime; (3) Forty-five miles per hour (45 mph) in such other locations during the nighttime;”

“Twenty miles per hour (20 mph) in the area within three hundred feet (300′) of any school house grounds’ entrances and exits during the daytime during the days when schools shall be open.”

“The prima facie speed limits set forth in this section may be altered as authorized in §§ 31-14-4 — 31-14-8.”

“accident resulting in injury to or death of any person, or any vehicle other than a vehicle moved by human power becoming so disabled as to prevent its normal and safe operation, shall immediately by the quickest means of communication give notice of the accident to the nearest office of a duly authorized police authority.”

“in excess of one thousand dollars ($1000) is sustained, shall, within twenty-one (21) days after the accident, forward a written report of the accident to the division of motor vehicles, on forms provided by the division of motor vehicles.”

“with respect to each motor vehicle of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) because of bodily injury to, or death of, one person in any one accident; and subject to the limit for one person, to a limit of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), because of bodily injury to, or death of, two (2) or more persons in any one accident;”

“a limit of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) because of injury to, or destruction of, property of others in any one accident; or seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) combined, single limit.”

“Any operator under the age of twenty-one (21) shall wear a helmet of a type approved by the administrator of motor vehicles. In addition, all new operators, regardless of age, shall be required, for a period of one year from the date of issuance of the first license”

“Operators of motorcycles, motor scooters, and motor-driven cycles shall use eye protection of a type approved by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles when operating their vehicles on streets and highways.”

“No person shall operate a motorcycle, motor scooter, or motor-driven cycle unless any passenger on it wears a helmet and is able to rest his or her feet upon a foot-rest.”

“A vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practical entirely within a single lane and shall not be moved from the lane until the driver has first ascertained that the movement can be made with safety.”